Form in the context of function: Fundamentals of an energy effective striding walk, the role of the plantigrade foot and its expected size.

Abstract

What morphological and functional factors allow for the unique and characteristic upright striding walk of the hominin lineage? Predictive models of locomotion that arise from considering mechanisms of energy loss indicate that collision-like losses at the transition between stance limbs are important determinants of bipedal gait. Theoretical predictions argue that these collisional losses can be reduced by having "functional extra legs" which are physically the heel and the toe part of a single anatomical foot. The ideal spacing for these "functional legs" are up to a quarter of a stride length, depending on the model employed. We evaluate the foot in the context of the dynamics of a bipedal system and compare predictions of optimal foot size against empirical data from modern humans, the Laetoli footprint trackways, and chimpanzees walking bipedally. The dynamics-based modeling approach provides substantial insight into how, and why, walking works as it does, even though current models are too simple to make predictions at a level adequate to anticipate specific morphology except at the most general level.